Preparation

• 1 Slice the eggplant into desired thickness slices. Place the flour in a small bowl and set aside.
• 2 In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk and set aside. In another bowl, combine breadcrumbs, oregano, thyme minced garlic.
• 3 Begin by rolling eggplant slices in flour then dip into egg mixture, making sure to coat both sides then dip into bread crumb mixture, making sure to coat both sides.
• 4 In a large skillet over medium heat, add about 1/3 cup of the oil. Once hot, add enough breaded eggplant slices to comfortably fit in bottom of pan without crowding. Fry on both sides until golden brown then remove from pan and let rest on a paper towel or cookie rack to drain excess oil.
• 5  Cook remaining eggplant slices, adding extra oil if needed. Once all slices have been fried, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• 6 Using a 9 by 13-inch baking dish or large cast iron skillet, spoon about 1/4 of the marinara sauce on the bottom then top with a layer of the fried eggplant slices. Top eggplant with about 1/4 of the cheeses then top with a layer of torn basil leaves. Spoon some sauce over it then repeat the layering process until you run out of eggplant.
• 7 Once assembled, carefully press layers down firmly into the dish then finish by topping with any remaining sauce, basil and cheeses.  Place in the top part of the oven and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 30 to 40 minutes.
• 8 For extra browning, place dish under broiler for a minute or two, just before serving, to get an extra brown, crusty-cheesy top. Serve with fresh Italian parsley on top, if desired.